YACHTS BUILT FOR MR, SMITH. 83 



duct in all matters, and for his earnest and persevering 

 exertions to promote and improve steam navigation." 



Before Mr. Smith communicated his design of buildins: a 

 private steamer to Mr. Napier, he had been for many years 

 a member of the Royal Yacht Club, during which period no 

 fewer than five sailing yachts were built for him. The last 

 of these was the Menai. A proposition made by him to 

 admit steam-vessels to the privileges of the club was not 

 favourably received, and some of the members went even so 

 far as to taunt him with the insinuation that he intended to 

 make any steamer he might build subservient to business 

 purposes. jNIr. Smith was, naturally enough, very indignant 

 at so unjust an accusation, and subsequently withdrew his 

 name from the club. 



The history of the first steam-yacht he built^ also called 

 the Menai, shall be told in Mr. Napier's own words. " In 

 the year 1829, I received a letter from Mr. Smith (at that 

 time a stranger to me) requesting me to meet him at his 

 house (Penton) near Andover, which I did. He then in- 

 formed me he had quarrelled with some of the members 

 of the Royal Yacht Club, and was determined to leave the 

 club, and build a steam-yacht, but that Mrs. Smith was very 

 much against his doing so, and that / must overcome the 

 objections to steam. To this I demurred, as I had never 

 seen Mrs. Smith. He repeated, / must do it. At that mo- 

 ment dinner was announced, and I was introduced to Mrs. 

 Smith. During dinner, Mr. Smith made many judicious 

 remarks about steam and steam-vessels, others the reverse 

 — the latter I explained when he was wrong. This was 

 the only thing I did to overcome Mrs. Smith's objec- 

 tions. Before parting, he asked me to come in the morn- 

 ing to breakfast (from Andover), which I did. Mr. Smith 

 then decided on building a steam yacht, with copper boilers, 

 and gave me the order, saying, when I wanted money he would 

 send it. This vessel cost him about .£20,000, and during 

 its construction he sent money as wanted ; but he never 



G 2 



